Cigarette dispensing device



March 12, 1963 Filed Aug. 8, 1960 J. P. CLARKE ET AL CIGARETTE DISPENSING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IAN/ 1774 75 James I? GAR/(E Fran/s BUULAAG'E'? March 12, 1963 J. P. CLARKE ET AL 3,080,999

CIGARETTE DISPENSING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 8, 1960 a 7: F251;! 1!!! it: IIIII'IIIIIIIIIIII w. GI" a. illll l vsurm Jampg A CLARKfX' Fraz er BOI/LAIVGER Malfih 1963 P. CLARKE ETAI. 3,080,999

CIGARETTE DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Aug. 8, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 J 03 P. CLARKE Fixed; BOULA/VGFR United States Patent 3,080,999 CIGARETTE DISPENSING DEVICE James Patrick Clarke, 5735 Hudson Road, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and Francis Boulanger,'161 6th Ave., Verdun, Quebec, Canada Filed Aug. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 48,315 1 Claim. (Cl. 221-266) This invention pertains to a cigarette dispensing machine of the manually operated type.

The dispensing device is of the type wherein, by the manual operation of a lever, a cigarette, and only one, is released from a container holding several cigarettes.

It finds particular use, although not restrictively so, on the dashboards of automobiles, near the driver, so that the latter can reach out for a cigarette with one hand, while holding onto the driving wheel with the other hand.

In order to provide a one-hand operation, it is necessary that the operating lever be so located that, operation thereof, will release a cigarette right in the operating hand without the necessity of the driver taking his eyes away from the road. I

In reference to the particular use mentioned above, that is, on automobile dashboards, it becomes necessary that the operation of such a device be quite efficient and positive, otherwise the driver will attempt to tamper with the device, if unproperly functioning, while at the same time trying to keep driving. The dispensing device must therefore be simple in operation and in mechanism, so that the possibility of breakage be almost nil.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dispensing machine of the aforementioned type which Will release a cigarette every time, provided of course there are some in the magazine, and will only release one at a time.

A further object lies in the provision of a cigarette dispensing mechine so simple in mechanical arrangement of parts as to make it low in manufacturing costs and easy to repair.

These various objects are attained by a cigarette dispensing device which comprises a casing and a cigarette magazine within the casing. This magazine actually terminates short of the bottom of said casing and is further provided with a holding member, standing immediately below the cigarette magazine and functioning to hold the cigarettes in vertical alignment and permit the release of only one cigarette at a time. This holding member is actually rotatable about a pivot point located midway between its ends. The forward end is provided with a holding portion normally standing under the bottom cigarette so as to hold all of the cigarettes in vertical alignment. Also, this forward portion is provided with a forwardly projecting ledge which partly extends between the two last cigarettes. The holding member is finally provided with a rearwardly extending portion which is heavier than the forward portion so that the tendency for this member is to pivot around the pivot point in such a way as to move the forward part upwardly, thus preventing the cigarette from falling. This member is held, by means of an abutment pin, in a substantially horizontal position when not in use. Whenever a cigarette is desired, a manually operated lever is pushed up and the member, by pivoting around its pivot point, releases one cigarette while the ledge of the forward portion moves underneath the second to last cigarette which, then, becomes the bottom cigarette.

Further objects of the invention will he pointed out or will become apparent as the following description proceeds, having regard to the attached drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows, in dot-and-dash lines, the outline of the interior of a car, with the dispenser of the invention in full lines shown applied to the dashboard thereof,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the invention, showing how it is actually operated,

FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the invention similar to that of FIG. 2, but seen at a different angle,

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3 but showing the casing cover in the open position,

FIG. 5 is a further perspective view, partly broken away to show the interior structure, of the dispenser of the invention,

FIG. '6 is a sectional side elevational view of the invention, in inoperative position of the invention,

FIG. 7 is a further side elevational view of the invention, in the operative position, showing one cigarette dropping out of the casing while the holding member retains the remaining cigarettes in the magazine,

FIG. 8 is a rear elevational view intended to show an embodiment of a mounting device,

FIG. 9 is a perspective rear View of the invention showing the mounting device as applied to the back thereof,

FIG. 10 illustrates this mounting device in exploded view with the varous component parts detached.

Reference to FIG. 1 will show an automobile 1 with a dashboard 2 over which is mounted the dispensing device of the invention. This FIG. 1 shows how, conveniently, the device of the invention can be located in relation to the driving wheel 5 so as to be readily accessible to the driver.

In use, as shown in FIG. 2, it is only necessary to push upwardly on button 7 of manually operated and releasing member 9 to release a cigarette 11. As better seen from FIG. 4, several such cigarettes 11 can be placed into the magazine of the device. A cover 13 hingedly held onto the forward part of the dispensing container, conveniently allows the refilling of the cagarette magazine.

As will :be detailed later, the invention also contemplates the mounting mechanism which serves to fix the cigarette dispenser onto the dashboard of the automobile or onto other suitable locations. The internal structure of the invention is better grasped by inspection of the FIGS. 5,- 6 and 7 which will now be described.

The dispensing machine is made up of a'casing comprising a first upstanding chamber 17 and a magazine, generally indicated by numeral 19. The magazine itself is composed of an oblique feeding Wall 21 which terminates, inwardly of the easing into a vertical alignment wall 23. The inner surface of side walls 25 and front wall 27 terminate the magazine which is, therefore, composed of a vertical and oblique passages.

A further wall 29, which may be called a guiding wall, is also provided inwardly of the casing and more particularly the upstanding chamber 17, from the middle portion thereof down to the lower end. As seen from FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, this guiding wall extends the full width of the casing and may also be bent horizontally as at 31 to close in the rearward part of upstanding chamber 17 completely. This guiding wall, as its name implies'and as better seen in FIG. 7 will serve to guide cigarettes on their way out of the dispensing machine. In this respect, guiding wall 29 may be made slightly tapered to help in releasing the cigarettes. Also, for a purpose which will be explained later, this guiding wall 29 may be sent inwardly as at 33.

The operating mechanism of the device is composed of two parts. The first one is a pivotable holding member 35 while the other is the aforementioned manually operated releasing member 9, acting in conjunction with pivotable holding member 35.

The principle of the operating mechanism lies in that the holding member 35 is unbalanced so that its forward portion 37 tends to move upwardly against the pivoting action of the heavier rearward portion 39. As Will readily be understood from perusal of FIG. 6, pivot 41 is so located that forward portion 37 lies underneath the bottom cigarette 43 and tends, therefore, to hold all of the cigarettes in vertical alignment. Further upward movement of the forward portion 37 is prevented by having the rearward portion abut stop-pin 45 to prevent further downward movement of said rearward portion. It will also be noted that the holding member 35 is provided, forwardly of pivot 41 and upwardly of forward portion 37, with a forwardly projecting ledge 47 adapted to extend partly between the bottom cigarette 43 and adjacent cigarette 49. For convenience, and as readily seen from FIG. 5 particularly, but also from FIGS. 6 and 7, the frontal surface of pivotable holding member 35 is arcuate in shape, although this is not absolutely necessary. The only parts necessary are a forwardly extending portion 37 as well as a forward ledge 47 vertically spaced therefrom and adapted to extend partly between the two last cigarettes of the vertical alignment as soon as member 35 starts pivoting.

In order to operate holding member 35 and release one cigarette, the manually operated and releasing member 9 is provided. This member 9 is composed of a rod 51 extending, slidably, through a sleeve 53 vertically mounted on the horizontal portion 31 of upstanding chamber 17. Radially extending pins 55 on rod 51 prevent the latter from slipping out of sleeve 53. In rest position, as shown in FIG. 6, rod 51 terminates short of the lower surface of rearward portion 39, resting against pin 45, as aforesaid.

The operation of this device is quite simple and will be readily understood by inspection of FIGS. 6 and 7. Upward pressure as by hand, on knob 7 Will raise rod 51 which will eventually contact rearward portion 39 and bring the latter into pivotal movement around pivot point 41. As holding member 35 pivots, forward portion 37 moves counterclockwise so that the last cigarette 43 gradually descends and finally moves down freely when forward portion finally abuts inward bent 33. However, as forward portion 37 gradually rotates and moves out of the way of the last cigarette 43, ledge 47 moves forwardly and blocks the way to the second to last cigarette 49. This latter cigarette will, therefore, be held into that position as shown in FIG. 7. Once the hold-on member 9 is released, the holding member 35, by virtue of the heavier weight of rearward portion 39, will move back into the position of FIG. 6. Cigarette 49 will then become the bottom cigarette by dropping onto forward portion 37.

As mentioned previously, the invention also contemplates the provision, on a dispensing machine as above described, of a mounting mechanism for fixing the machine onto the dashboard of an automobile, particularly.

The mechanism just mentioned is shown in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10.

It consists, generally of a channel shaped bracket 57, the web 61 of which, is fastened onto the under-surface of oblique feeding wall 21. Flanges 63 of bracket 57 are each provided with arcuate slots 65 through which extend wing-nuts 66 which tighten fixing assembly 59 onto the channel shaped bracket 57. This fixing assembly is composed preferably of a T-shaped connector 67 which is screwed onto a horseshoe magnet69. The horseshoe 69 itself is adapted to sit onto a circulal plate 71 mounted on the dashboard of the automobile by nut-and-bolt holding means 73, or equivalent. In some cases, it will be understood that the fixing assembly can be mounted directly onto the dashboard and held in place by the natural magnetism of the horseshoe magnet. Arcuate slots have been provided on flanges 63 to permit selective orientation of the dispensing device.

I claim:

A cigarette dispensing device comprising: a casing having a vertical front wall and an inner wall parallel to and spaced from said front wall; said wall defining therebetween a magazine for holding cigarettes in hori- Zontal position and in vertical alignment; a holding member pivoted intermediate the ends thereof below and adjacent said inner wall; said holding member having an arcuate portion forwardly of the pivot axis; said arcuate portion being positioned beneath said magazine and projecting in the direction of said front wall; said arcuate portion being in holding engagement with the bottom cigarette of said vertical alignment when in inoperative position and terminating into a sharp ledge forwardly of the pivot axis; said ledge being adapted to extend between the last two cigarettes of the vertical alignment during actuation of the holding member; a heavier rearward portion at the other end of said holding member; abutting means for retaining said holding member substantially horizontally when in the inoperative position of said holding member; vertical guiding means in said casing below said holding member and in alignment with said heavier rearward portion; an actuating member vertically displaceable in said guiding means for applying a pivoting force to said holding member to release the bottom cigarette and retain the remaining cigarettes of the vertical alignment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 484,573 Schnoor Oct. 18, 1892 596,316 Barnes Dec. 28, 1897 673,591 Aldrich May 7, 1901 1,072,429 Colbert Sept. 9, 1913 1,212,994 Odell Jan. 16, 1917 1,389,916 Thomas Sept. 6, 1921 1,462,283 Hegnes July 17, 1923 1,610,001 Foster Dec. 7, 1926 1,773,329 Upham Aug. 19, 1930 2,210,222 Tankersley Aug. 6, 1940 2,504,733 Safranski Apr. 18, 1950 2,530,698 Hogeberg Nov. 21, 1950 2,706,028 Jenner Apr. 12, 1955 2,824,667 Barnett Feb. 25, 1958 2,918,698 Le Bron Dec. 22, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 141,474 Great Britain Apr. 22, 1920 327,512 Italy Feb. 13, 1935 

